Calipari Wants Out of NCAA

At a time when the NCAA has never been more controversial, one of its most high profile coaches is advocating that his school leave the collegiate athletics governing body.

John Calipari, the highly successful coach for the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program, told WJKJ radio in Louisville that it might be time to separate from the NCAA.

In particular, he took issue with the age limit rule saying “I’m the one guy out there saying, ‘We’ve gotta change this somehow.We’ve gotta encourage these kids to stay two years.’ But the NCAA’sgotta do some stuff. And if they don’t do it, we need to separate fromthem. I’m not afraid to say it. Look, they’ve embarrassed me.”

The Wildcats program is known for its utilization of one-and-done players, talented freshmen capable of uniting for one year to take the program to the NCAA Tournament before departing for the NBA. This pattern failed Calipari this year as the Wildcats were omitted from the NCAA Tournament and bounced from the NIT in Round 1.

Calipari’s criticism comes at a time when NCAA President Mark Emmert and the organization have been under fire for botched investigations, compliance rules, and a host of other issues.